


His Future

by ImyourCardiganAngel



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: F/M, Lance is on his farm and Keith visits, M/M, just how I see their story naturally progressing from the season finale
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-16
Updated: 2018-12-16
Packaged: 2019-09-20 08:21:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,364
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17019132
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ImyourCardiganAngel/pseuds/ImyourCardiganAngel
Summary: Not a fix-it fic, just how I see the story naturally continuing after the finale.“Thank you, Keith,” Lance said softly, eyes still on the setting sun. “Thank you for always trusting me even when I didn’t trust myself.”“You made it easy to trust you,” Keith replied, equally soft.And Lance smiled, once more gazing out on his fields and at peace with where he was standing. He still didn’t know what his future held, but one never really did, did they?





	His Future

Lance watched as the sky lit up with oranges and pinks and yellows, sighing as a gentle breeze swept through the field of flowers, carrying their sweet scent with it. It has been two years since Allura’s sacrifice, and a year since Lance came home and established this farm in her name, growing her favorite flower and sharing them with others.

Earth now recognizes the flower as a symbol of peace, offering it to their allies in memory of the sacrifices that have been made for the chance at peace. It’s the way Allura should be remembered; it’s everything she had fought for.

Lance smiles, eyes wandering up to the few stars that have begun to appear. He whispers a small _thank you_ , hands reaching up to brush against the marks under his eyes, as he does every night. He wouldn’t be who he was if not for her; he wouldn’t be here, sitting in this field, _safe_ , if not for her.

For a while, Lance wasn’t sure what his future held. Allura was gone, and it felt like she had taken his heart with her. He was lost, so lost; he had been so sure he was on the right path until the rug was ripped out from under him again, leaving him in a void of his thoughts, his insecurities, the feeling of being alone overwhelming.

He knew Coran was hurting as much as he was-- the man didn’t even get to say his goodbye to his _daughter_ \-- and Lance knows that’s why they had gravitated towards each other. They grounded each other, brought each other out from their spirals, and when they were back on their feet they focused their energy into building New Altea, cementing Allura’s memory forever. They made sure the way she never stopped fighting for peace would not be forgotten.

And now he was here, on his quiet farm, surrounded by his family, Kaltenecker, some other animals, and a few cats that had been in the barn when he bought the place. He has found his peace, and was now able to live the life he had always longed for while traveling up in space. Sure, at the beginning of that journey he had been dead set on becoming the best pilot the world has ever seen, but being a Paladin of Voltron had fulfilled that dream of his. He still wasn’t sure what his future had in store for him, but for now, he would just enjoy the journey.

He was interrupted from his reminiscing by a wet tongue sliding up his cheek and into his hair, no doubt leaving a cowlick behind, or, he guessed, a _cosmic-wolf-lick_. He laughed and sat up on his elbows to scratch Kosmo behind the ears.

“There’s my favorite girl!” He laughed as she frantically licked all over his face, only retreating when Keith called her back to him in an amused voice.

“Hey, man,” Lance smiled, finally catching sight of Keith.

“Hey,” Keith smiled back, extending a hand to pull Lance back to his feet.  

Keith has been making it a habit to visit Lance when his work allowed it. Lance thinks Keith likes the quiet out here; he always has a peaceful look on his face when he visits, and Lance can’t help but stare. This isn’t the same Keith he started this journey with; Keith in his Blade of Marmora outfit, traveling around the universe to bring relief and peace to every corner. Lance had always known Keith would go on and do great things-- at least he was right about something.

“How’s the Blade doing, fearless leader?” Lance grinned, patting Keith’s shoulder.

Keith scoffed, but grinned anyway. “I’m not a leader anymore, Lance. And it’s doing good. We’ve been working hard lately, but it’s paying off.”

“This is new,” Lance’s hand came up to pick up the braid running down the side of Keith’s neck. “I like it.”

“You’re probably just glad my mullet is gone,” Keith rolled his eyes, crossing his arms.

“So, you finally admit it was a mullet. It took traveling through space and time, and saving the universe for you to finally realize your offense to my eyes.”

“Lance,” Keith said as a warning, but then they both broke out in chuckles.

It felt good to have this camaraderie again, always did when Keith visited. No matter how long Keith-- or the others for that matter-- would be away, they always slotted themselves back into Lance’s life like no time had passed. Lance guessed that was just what happened after saving the universe(s) together.

“Come on, I’ve got to take Kaltenecker back to her pen.”

Kosmo helped with herding Kaltenecker, who was a stubborn lass, back into the barn, nipping at her heels when the cow would slow down. Lance chuckled, calling Kosmo a ‘good girl’ once Kaltenecker was locked in her pen, serenely chewing on her hay.

“So,” Lance turned back to Keith, who was peering into the stall across from the cow’s, “how long are you staying this time ‘round?”

A mew sounded, and Lance sidled up next to Keith, peering down at the kittens wrestling in the hay. Their mother was a beautiful Calico, and was watching over them, tail flicking to and fro while one kitten tried to pin it down. Keith reached a hand down and a kitten raised itself up to rub on his outstretched fingers. Keith smiled, and so did Lance.

“My mother is forcing me to take some off, for myself, so I’m not really sure,” Keith finally answers. “I’ll only stay until I find another place to go. I don’t want to intrude on you-”

“Keith, my man, I told you you could visit any time and for however long. You’re not intruding,” Lance immediately interrupts him. “Besides, it’s been a little too quiet around here for a while. I’d enjoy the company.”

And while that wasn’t exactly true-- his mother and father were still around and plenty of company, but his siblings were all busy with their own lives recently-- it would be nice to have someone who _knew_ him. Keith was at his side for most of the journey, knew what they experienced while out there, and that in itself was refreshing.

Keith softly smiled, nodding once before turning his attention back to the kittens. “Have you named them yet?”

“Pshh, of course. I’m not going to wait around for them to tell me their names,” Lance smirked, elbowing Keith who retaliated by returning one of his own. Then he pointed to the long-haired black one Keith was petting. “That one there is Mullet. In loving memory of your mullet.” Lance wiped away an imaginary tear. Keith remained unimpressed.

Lance pointed to a mostly brown one next. “That one there is Burger, for Hunk.”

Keith snorted. “Remember when we went out our first night back on Earth and Hunk ate ten burgers in thirty minutes! He got a t-shirt for doing that too.”

Lance shot him finger guns. “Exactly. And that one there,” Lance pointed to an orange tabby. “That’s Coranic. He’s the same color as Coran’s mustache, so obviously I had to name him in his honor. The man’s going to be ecstatic.

“The blondish one is Gremlin, and she lives up to that name. Over there with the white belly is Captain. And the white one is Juniberry.” Lance smiled down at them.

“And what about that one?” Keith pointed to the last kitten hiding under a pile of hay, preparing to pounce on Mullet.

“Oh! That’s,” Lance faltered, rubbing his chin. “Huh, I don’t think I ever decided on a name for the little guy.”

“How about Sharpshooter? Our team wouldn’t be complete without one.”

Lance couldn’t stop the giddy laugh from breaking out. “Yeah, sounds good. Now, come on, let’s get you something to eat. If you’re going to stick around for a while, I expect you to pull your weight.”

They quietly walked back to the house, which wasn’t by any means small. Lance had made sure it could fit his family comfortably, as well as have a few extra guests rooms because it was a favorite amongst his friends to visit when they needed some down time. He was glad he could offer that comfort to them.

“So, what’s new?” Lance asked as he set a plate of food down in front of Keith, who didn’t hesitate to pick up his spork and shovel the food into his mouth.

“Hm, not much since you last visited New Altea. Hunk is still the best cook around-- oh! He wanted me to pick up some more recipes from your mom, the others are a huge hit apparently.”

“Mama will be glad to hear that,” Lance chuckled. “Him and Shay still the sweetest thing around?”

Keith made an ‘ _of course_ ’ expression, mouth full of food. Once he swallowed he continued. “Pidge is still in the testing phases of Chip, but with Matt at her side, those two will have him perfected in no time. It’s kind of scary how real he seems right now. Oh, and Matt cut his hair.”

“What?!” Lance screeched. “He didn’t!” Keith nodded earnestly.

“Shiro and Curtis are enjoying domestic life,” Keith smiled. “And he won’t stop telling the story of how he won that arm wrestling challenge at the fair we visited, like, two years ago.” Keith laughed, and Lance joined him.

“That sounds like Shiro.”

“Coran and Romelle are really taking New Altea to new heights. You guys have done a great job with giving the Alteans a place to call home.”

“Thanks, it’s important to us, so it’s good to see it thrive,” Lance said quietly. “I’m excited to see what they’ve done on my next visit.”

They fell into an easy silence after that, Keith finishing his plate and washing it in the sink. Lance’s mother came in, a surprised squeal escaping her as she caught sight of Keith at the sink, and didn’t hesitate to pull him into a hug. Lance smiled at how Keith dwarfed his mother, and how he held his hands away so he wouldn’t get suds on her. His papa came in next to see what the commotion was about, and smiled widely when he saw Keith caught in his wife’s arms, then ruffled Keith’s hair and slapped him on the back after he was released.

His parents talked Keith up some more, asking similar questions as Lance, though his mother wanted all the details on Krolia and Kolivan’s budding relationship; she never could keep away from the gossip. Keith looked awkward at the question, unsure how exactly to define the relationship between his mother and Kolivan, since it wasn’t exactly like Earth’s standards, so Lance swooped in and rescued him, tugging him away and scolding his parents for keeping Keith, _weak and weary Keith_ (that one earned him a glare), up late. He guided him to a guest room, leaving with a genuine goodnight.

  


Lance found himself excited to start the day, rising without hesitation, running through his morning routine before making his way downstairs, a light smile on his face. He was glad to see he had woken before Keith, however, that was not the case with Kosmo, who was waiting happily for him in the kitchen. Seems she hasn’t forgotten their morning ritual; Lance would always make her some cooked ham and eggs in the morning.

So, he rolled up his sleeves and got to work, turning the radio on low volume and began humming along, occasionally turning away from the stove to dance with Kosmo. He laughed when she jumped up, placing her paws on his shoulders to lick his face.

It wasn’t long until he finished Kosmo’s ham and eggs, scooping it into a bowl and setting it down. The bowl barely touched the ground before Kosmo attacked it, scarfing the food down with pleased growls.

“Remember, this is our little secret. Don’t tell Keith!”

“Don’t tell me what?”

“Keith!” Lance screeched, his heart leaping out of his chest.

He turned to see a sleepy, bedhead Keith shuffling into the kitchen, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Lance hoped he wouldn’t be awake enough to notice Kosmo’s treat, but it seemed Kosmo would be finished eating it in about ten seconds anyway.

“I was just telling Kosmo not to spoil my breakfast for you,” Lance recovered, waving his spatula as he talked.

Keith grunted and sat down at the table, head falling onto a hand. Lance stared at sleepy Keith. Sure, he has experienced this Keith before, but it always felt different when it was in his kitchen; it felt more vulnerable. And it just felt _right_.

Lance quickly turned back around to start the pancakes and sausage, his humming picking back up as he fell back into the easy rhythm of cooking. His mama and papa soon joined them, gratefully accepting the coffee that had just perked, and Lance slid Keith his own coffee, black.

“Still don’t know how you drink that motor oil, hotshot.”

“Coffee’s meant to wake you up, not rot your teeth,” Keith grunted, beginning perking up after the first sip.

By the time the three of them had finished their coffee, Lance was serving them breakfast, pecking his mother good morning as he served her, as was tradition. He joined them, listening to Keith tell a story about the most recent planet he visited upon his mother’s prompting.

“Oh, _mijo_ , do you ever miss it?” Lance’s mother turned to him.

Lance ducked his head, wishing she hadn’t brought this up in front of Keith, but he appeased her with a simple ‘sometimes,’ then stuffed his mouth with food. Thankfully, Keith saved him by changing the topic.

“So, what’s on the _to-do_ list today?”

“Hmm,” Lance swallowed, “We should probably milk Kaltenecker first, then make sure all the other animals have enough food. And we’ll go from there.” Lance shoved the last piece of pancake in his mouth as his mother collected the empty plates.

“You boys go on ahead, then. I’ll take care of the dishes. Thanks for breakfast, _mijo_.”

And with that Lance and Keith raced off across the field, literally. Lance was pleased that Keith never lost that competitive edge with him, but in the end, neither won because Kosmo was already waiting for them at the doors of the barn.

Lance tried to teach Keith how to milk Kaltenecker, but he was hopeless, but it was amusing to watch his face contort with concentration. And whatever time they lost while milking, he made up by carrying three bales of hay at once to feed the horses and goats in the fields. Kosmo liked the goats, especially the little pygmy goats that chased her around the field, happily bleating as they ran. Lance took a video on his halo-pad and sent it to Hunk, Pidge, and Shiro; he knew they’d appreciate it.

Lance’s mother called them in for lunch not long after and they planned out the rest of their day over sandwiches. Lance had to harvest some more flowers for his shop and to send out to space, and Keith readily agreed to help. Kosmo stayed behind with his mama since she’s not one for delicate work. And after showing Keith how to cut and bundle the flowers so they wouldn’t get crumpled, they got to work, an easy silence taking over as they focused.

“Not to bring this up again, since you seemed to dodge it last time,” Keith began carefully, “but _do_ you ever miss it?” Thankfully Keith was kind enough to keep his attention on his work and not pin Lance with his piercing gaze.

“That’s a loaded question, Keith,” Lance sighed. “To what exactly are you referring to?”

“Space, Voltron, take your pick.”

“I miss both, of course,” Lance answered truthfully, “But I recognize that that part of my life is over. Visiting New Altea is enough for me, this field of juniberry flowers is enough for me. I am surrounded by my family and I still get to see my friends regularly; I am happy.”

“But are you the happiest you could be?” Keith whispered quietly, pausing in his work to stare at Lance.

Lance paused his work too. “I’m not sure I ever will be again, Keith. So, I’ll take what I can get. I _am_ happy.”

Keith grunted and Lance knew he wasn’t satisfied with that answer, but he said nothing else about it. They completed the rest of their work in peace, piling the bundles carefully into the large wagon they had the donkeys haul out, finishing just as the sun was setting. Perfect timing in Lance’s mind.

He stared out across the horizon as Keith came up beside him, calmly watching the sunset with a soft smile on his face, and Lance was reminded of another time they were in a similar situation as this.

“Thank you, Keith,” he said softly, eyes still on the setting sun. “Thank you for always trusting me even when I didn’t trust myself.”

“You made it easy to trust you,” Keith replied, equally soft.

And Lance smiled, once more gazing out on his fields and at peace with where he was standing. He still didn’t know what his future held, but one never really did, did they? At the beginning of this journey Lance couldn’t have known he would be standing next to his self-proclaimed rival watching a sunset, and be happy about it. Because he _was_ glad Keith was standing beside him, that they-- the entire team as well-- never lost touch despite going separate ways after the war. They had been through too much together to, even if they tried, Lance was certain.

Keith’s earlier words hadn’t left him, still turning in his mind. Lance hadn’t lied about being happy, but those words made him realize he was always happier when Keith visited, the rest of his team too, of course, but Keith’s visits felt different. He made Lance feel like his old self, light-hearted and confident. There was a time when he would deny admitting that, but he had no problem realizing it now.

He glanced over at Keith, who was still leaning against the wagon, watching as the sun sunk lower. He wore his regular clothes now, trading his Blade suit for dark jeans and a t-shirt paired with a heavy-duty jacket tied around his waist, the heat having forced him to take it off earlier in the day. He looked like he belonged here.

“Do you ever tire of it?” Lance finally spoke. “Space, I mean.”

Keith seemed to think the question over carefully, before tucking his chin against his chest in an effort to hide a smile. He uncrossed his arms and turned to give Lance his undivided attention, those nebula eyes focusing on him and only him.

“At the moment, no. I am right where I am supposed to be, but I do not see myself doing this forever. I’d like to settle down eventually, perhaps with someone else, in a quiet place where we can just enjoy each other.” Keith glanced away, a hand coming up to play with his braid.

“The great Keith Kogane, settling down for someone he loves. Who could have that kind of power?” Lance smiled.

“Guess you’ll have to wait and see,” Keith shrugged, smirking.

And at those words, Lance felt a little thrill run through him, like a piece of a puzzle slotted itself in place inside of him. He realized then that he had an idea of what he wanted his future to look like, and it was standing right next to him. He grinned.

“You know I never was any good at waiting.” Lance laced his fingers with Keith’s, and smiled when Keith gave them a squeeze, but both remained silent, eyes focused on the horizon.

They stayed like that until the sun disappeared and his mother’s voice echoed across the field, calling them in for dinner. Lance directed his gaze to the stars once more and let his fingers trail over his marks. _Thank you, for making this possible._

**Author's Note:**

> Not sure if I'll write more for this, kinda like the open ending since everyone has their own idea of how these two would get together. Please, no discourse here. I know it wasn't perfect, but I have enjoyed this show and watching it progress. It made me laugh, it made me cry, and I will miss it. Please respect that, as I respect your own opinions. I hope you enjoyed this fic!  
> 


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